Texas has real problems

We are 49th in percentage of citizens with high school diploma. Texas can't sustain economic growth without a better educated workforce. Every year there are fewer jobs for people without some kind of degree.

We are 50th in infrastructure rankings when the use of renewable energy and the quality of our roads and bridges is taken into consideration. Southeast Texas knows more than any other part of the state that the failure to keep up with public projects like widening the bayous and building reservoirs has dire consequences.

We are 42nd in gender equality and 45th in racial equality measured by the racial gap in income. The promise of Texas is opportunity for all, but we fail time and again when it comes to women and people of color.

We are 45th in overall education equity and spending indicators and Texas is consistently at the bottom in per-pupil expenditures.

Texas has the highest maternal mortality rate among states and most developed nations. This heartbreaking statistic, when coupled with the failure of the Texas Legislature to provide real health care options for women makes Texas a dangerous place for women and girls.